How Could This Happen To Me?
by Kat7Ioco
Summary: One-shot. Inspired by the song "Untitled" by Simple Plan. Details Zack's death scene with references to the song, etc. NO PAIRINGS!


How Could This Happen To Me?

One-shot inspired by the song "Untitled" by Simple Plan.

Note: All characters are from Final Fantasy VII.

* * *

The Shinra Army had caught up—after a bullet came flying by and almost hit Cloud, Zack was certain.

Well, that left only one option.

Make one last stand since there was nowhere else to run.

Zack forced a smile in case Cloud could see it before standing up and turning to leave.

/

_Zack..._ Cloud, semi-aware of what was going on but blinded by the light that seemed to come from everywhere, stretched his hand out towards his friend's retreating back—the only thing that he could even vaguely see. _Please... Don't go... What happened? ...Why is there this pain?_

_Please don't leave, Zack..._

_/_

Zack hurt everywhere. There was no escaping the fact that he had bullets riddled into his entire body.

_How could this happen?_ Zack wondered. _Sure, I made my fair share of mistakes, but nothing big enough to get myself killed..._

"Z-Zack?"

_Huh?_ Zack struggled to focus on his friend. "For…the both of us," he gasped out.

"Both…of us?"

_I'm barely here—I'm hanging by a thread. Please understand!_ "That's right. You're gonna…."

"You're gonna…?"

Zack forced his hand up and to the back of Cloud's head, pulling him into a hug with what little strength he had left. "…Live." His fingers tightened in the blonde strands for a moment as he forced out, "You'll be…my living legacy."

_Just like I was for Angeal. _Drained by the memory, his hand slipped away and thudded back to the ground, but Zack barely felt it. _I wanna start over again! I wanna see Aerith one last time! I wanna keep Angeal from dying, Cloud from getting Mako Addiction..._

_I wanna see my parents again..._

Cloud slowly sat up again, his cheek and some of his hair red from Zack's bloodied chest. He looked over with desperation fogged by the residual Mako in his system.

Zack forced a smile and hove the Buster Sword towards him. "My honor…my dreams…." He held the sword up. "They're yours now," he said firmly.

Stunned, Cloud reached forward and hesitantly took the handle. "I'm…your living…legacy," he whispered.

Zack softly smiled as he slipped off the edge of life. _Remember when we first met? Good-naturedly throwing country boy jabs at each other? We were so carefree and unaware of what was going on then. I hadn't been forced to kill Angeal then, and everything was so simple then..._

_/_

Cloud stared, shocked. Zack had just died. _No...How could this happen to Zack?_ Pent-up emotions started creeping up to the surface until he just let loose and screamed. _No one can hear me, and if the Army does, I don't care anymore! How can the night just go on like this? It—isn't—_fair_!_

_/_

"Me?" Zack asked, turning around. "Gongaga!"

/

Zack held a hand out to Cloud, who was picking himself off the floor, with a stern expression on his face. Unable to hold it any longer, Zack broke out in a grin, telling Cloud that he'd just been teasing.

/

Zack ruffled Cloud's hair with a smile on his face.

/

Zack looked out at the passing scenery from the back of the truck with a ponderous look on his face.

/

Zack strode off to his final battle as Cloud tried to make some sound to tell Zack not to go. He couldn't make his vocal chords work, though, so Zack couldn't hear his silent pleas.

/

"We're friends, right?" Zack asked, sitting in the truck bed. He smiled.

/

Cloud still sat next to Zack, holding the Buster Sword. _I've made my mistakes already—I can't let myself mess things up anymore than I already have._ A pang of regret. _There's nowhere to run to...I hate this. I hate that I was the one who escaped. _

_How could this happen to me?_

* * *

"Untitled" by Simple Plan

I open my eyes

I try to see but I'm blinded

By the white light

I can't remember how

I can't remember why

I'm lying here tonight

And I can't stand the pain

And I can't make it go away

No I can't stand the pain

How could this happen to me?

I made my mistakes

Got nowhere to run

The night goes on

As I'm fading away

I'm sick of this life

I just wanna scream

How could this happen to me?

Everybody's screaming

I try to make a sound

But no one hears me

I'm slipping off the edge

I'm hanging by a thread

I wanna start this over again

So I try to hold onto a time when

Nothing mattered

And I can't explain what happened

And I can't erase the things that I've done

No I can't

How could this happen to me?

I made my mistakes

Got nowhere to run

The night goes on

As I'm fading away

I'm sick of this life

I just wanna scream

How could this happen to me?

I made my mistakes

Got nowhere to run

The night goes on

As I'm fading away

I'm sick of this life

I just wanna scream

How could this happen to me?


End file.
